A New Heaven and Earth

The Four Regions. Li Hao had become a mere outsider to the battle in the west, taking no further part in it. At this moment, he returned once more to the Four Regions. This had been the starting point of Xinwu and Silver Moon, virtually their homeland—even if, in the primal chaos, the concept of a homeland barely existed beyond one's native world. Yet their feelings toward the Four Regions were distinctly different. Of course, the Four Regions now lay profoundly desolate. The great worlds had been almost completely obliterated! When they had first walked out into the vast Four Regions, it had felt impossibly grand; now, looking back, it felt so very small. Aside from Chunqiu’s faction, nearly everyone following Li Hao and the Human King hailed from the Four Regions. Whether Guangming or Wushan, the Thunder Emperor or Kongji... Even Dao Chess had originated from the Four Regions. Many powerhouses had emerged from this modest region. Even Tianfang, the mightiest of the rank-nines today, and the formidable Tribulation had both come from here. This place harbored deep secrets. Even Zhan—the first-generation master of time, a true cultivator of time—had originated from here. Today, the Four Regions was utterly quiet. Unlike the west, where earth-shattering warfare raged, the worlds here had been all but wiped out in the previous war. And now that Long Zhan and the other powerhouses had set out on their expedition only to perish completely... there was not even a single high-rank Sovereign left in this place. The weaker Sovereigns could not even perceive the cosmic shifts taking place. Some were completely unaware of the great battle occurring today. Even though the commotion was terrifyingly immense, any faint disturbances they might have picked up were simply brushed aside. "The Four Regions..." Li Hao murmured, the red sphere of blood in his hand strikingly vivid. Holding the sphere aloft, he flew straight toward the site where the Tianfang World had once resided. Tianfang had taken root there; perhaps that made it all the more suitable for opening a new heaven. A host of powerhouses quickly followed, curious and bewildered. At present, Li Hao possessed no power of time. If he opened a world, would its time flow be uniform with the outside? Or did it naturally possess a different flow of time? Small worlds were generally sealed before one stepped out of them, and had differing flows of time. They wondered whether an artificially created heaven and earth would be different. Could it also maintain a distinct flow of time? Or would its time be identical? If it was identical, and the Time Star remained with Chaos, then the newly opened world would not grow quickly. Even if someone in the future were destined to become overwhelmingly powerful, they could not emerge anytime soon; it would be exceedingly difficult. As for reversing time and traveling along it... Li Hao hadn’t incorporated any power of time, meaning that this world might not even have time in the future. Reverse time, my foot! The Human Emperor of the future would likely be unable to traverse the river of time and arrive here. ... At the former site of the Tianfang World. Li Hao observed the place for a while. Only ruins remained here now. After the Human King had drained Tianfang's power the last time, that immense world had been reduced to a barren wasteland. Though the world still existed, it was like a single speck of sand in the primal chaos, stripped of all energy. Li Hao said nothing. He simply cast the red sphere of blood forward. The sphere began to expand frantically. It spread outward! Swelling upon the wind, it expanded to the size of a world in the blink of an eye. The onlookers were somewhat puzzled, watching with curiosity. Li Hao stared at the blood-colored world. This time, countless elements had been merged into it. He drew a deep breath, channeled his own power, and poured stream after stream of Great Dao power and primal chaos energy into the world. "Don't just stand there watching... Everyone, merge your Great Dao power into it, along with all your insights into the Great Dao and the universe... Let this world exist in the primordial state of chaos, yet imbued with the ultimate truths of the Great Dao!" The crowd exchanged glances. Merge all of it into the world? Without lingering hesitation, someone soon took action. Suddenly, as if sprouting hair, the blood-colored world extended long tendrils that wrapped around the crowd. Several people were startled, but Li Hao said in a low, steady voice, "Do not worry, this is the Dao! The Dao of the new heaven and earth. Let the Dao principles serve as the conduits connecting you to the new world. Pay it no heed..." Sovereign Chunqiu was somewhat resistant. *We aren't that familiar with each other!* *I don't trust you that easily!* As if reading her thoughts, Li Hao spoke: "Chunqiu, the new world might just hold the key to solving your race's lifespan problem. If you refuse to merge into it... are you sure you won't regret it?" Chunqiu could not resist retorting, "It's just opening a world. Even if it's a bit larger, can it really be that miraculous?" "Suit yourself!" Li Hao paid her no more attention. Chunqiu hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth. She allowed a Great Dao to coil around her like a long whip. At this moment, the blood-colored world seemed like a colossal heart, and the Great Daos resembled blood vessels, wrapping everyone within them. As each person began pouring their Great Dao power into it, the entire heart seemed to spring to life. A faint, weak pulsing began! This new world gathered everything from multiple rank-nine clones, alongside the Great Dao power and insights of numerous rank-eight Sovereigns. Aside from the true bodies of the rank-nines, Li Hao had gathered virtually everything that could possibly be harvested across the entire primal chaos. There was even a wisp of the Source of Chaos within it, which Long Zhan had bitten off. While the others were pouring in their power, Li Hao stood watching in silence. After waiting for a time, seeing the heart beat with increasing vigor, he drew a deep breath. Suddenly, a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his mouth, accompanied by the power of his Great Dao, spreading outward to coat the entire blood-colored sphere. At that moment, the blood sphere grew even more vibrant. Li Hao did not stop. Taking another deep breath, he unleashed his aura, swallowing the world like a whale as the surrounding primal chaos energy surged frantically toward this place! At this moment, the entire Four Regions trembled faintly. Yet this was still not enough! Li Hao suddenly began weaving Great Daos with his bare hands, conjuring and interweaving principles of the Great Dao out of thin air within the primal chaos. The Human King and the others opened their eyes one after another, looking toward Li Hao. Li Hao said nothing. He simply poured all of his comprehension and every thought into the primal chaos. Using blood, he began outlining divine characters! One divine character after another condensed into being. They were somewhat similar to his previous divine characters, yet distinctly different! "Divine characters?" The Human King glanced over, his brows lifting slightly. The first divine character began to coalesce, and surprisingly, it was the character for "Blood." It seemed intent on draining Li Hao completely, violently pulling the blood from his body! "Hmm?" The Human King was startled. It was not one of the Great Daos Li Hao was renowned for. Why was this fellow sketching a "Blood" divine character? Li Hao's voice drifted over, calm and measured: "Blood is the foundation of the spirit! Without blood, there is no man; without blood, there is no spirit! Essence, qi, spirit, and blood—these are the roots of mortals and the roots of spirits! Those without blood are naturally deficient in spirituality..." The Human King shrugged and paid it no further heed. *Condense whatever you like!* *This fellow truly isn't afraid of working himself to death.* Of course, he did not particularly mind such madness. Who hadn't been young once? Back when he was young, he hadn't cared about life or death either. ... Meanwhile. Inside the blood-colored world. A boundless expanse. There was only an immense density of chaotic Great Dao power. Within it, unconscious spirits seemed to drift in every direction. The world possessed the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Life and Death... yet all were utterly dispersed and undisciplined. Pockets of spirituality seemed to gather, then drift apart once more. Right at this moment... high above, beyond the vault of heaven, a character seemed to manifest: "Blood"! A stir ran through the turbid world. Innumerable scattered drops of blood began to coalesce. This was the blood of countless powerhouses—Li Hao's, Long Zhan's, the blood of those who had fallen, and the blood of those who had been wounded. These scattered droplets had dyed the entire world red. Now, this crimson hue began to converge, drawn together by the pull of the "Blood" divine character. Gradually, the blood coalesced, gradually forming the silhouette of a human figure. The scattered spirits drifting in the surroundings also began gathering toward it. Bit by bit, wisps of spirituality sank into the blood, and the blood-colored figure began to assemble within this desolate, silent world. Blood-qi surged to the heavens! The power of this blood was far too potent, integrating the blood essence of so many powerhouses. Now, influenced by the "Blood" divine character outside, it gathered across heaven and earth like the primordial first drop of blood at the dawn of creation, seemingly destined to become a spirit of the world. Blood-qi roiled violently! As in the legends of the creation of heaven and earth, spirituality began to coalesce within this internal chaos. Outside the realm. Li Hao continued to sketch divine characters, one after another, merging his essence, qi, spirit, and blood entirely into this new heaven and earth. ... Rising from weakness, Li Hao had witnessed and mastered far, far too many Daos. He had inherited numerous ultimate techniques from Xinwu, received inheritances in Tianfang, walked Tianfang's Dao, walked Tribulation's Dao, grasped the Dao of the physical body, and studied the Five Elements, Life and Death, Annihilation and Recovery... Daos of every kind. Now, he sketched them all out using his personal comprehension, transforming them into divine characters and branding them upon the world before him. The primal chaos within seemed small. Tiny, in fact. Yet it also seemed boundlessly vast! As Li Hao’s essence, qi, and spirit merged into it, he sensed subtle shifts taking place. A faint smile gradually appeared on his face. At this moment, this world seemed... to be nurturing living beings. Chaos creatures? Could they be considered primordial chaos beings? He did not know. Perhaps they were, perhaps not. After all... the spirits and energy within were supplied entirely from the outside. Strictly speaking, Li Hao had not created living beings. Everything here had already existed; he was merely guiding them into a cycle of reincarnation. Li Hao looked up at the sky. *Perhaps... only when I truly shatter the Source of Chaos and seize it for myself will I truly comprehend the creation of life. Otherwise, even if I open a heaven, it is merely a pseudo-heaven!* This heaven still remained within the scope of the primal chaos. Furthermore, its source of energy was drawn from the primal chaos. This world was far from complete. Even if successfully opened, it could not transcend the original primal chaos. Li Hao knew this well, but this was already the absolute limit of what he could achieve at present! Just then, Li Hao called out in a low voice, "Everyone, if you wish to enter the new world, channel your spirituality along the Great Daos! As chaos parts and heaven and earth nurture spirits, five thousand Great Daos will give rise to five thousand gods, demons, spirits, and immortals! Merge your spirit, not your body; let your spirit transform into immortals and demons—into primordial gods and demons!" "Grow alongside the world, comprehend a newborn cosmos, cast aside your memories, and start anew from zero..." Everyone was shaken! The Supreme's gaze flickered as he asked swiftly, "You mean... we should merge our spirits into the new world, become its primordial chaos beings, forget our memories, and cultivate a new life?" "Yes! Of course, if you are killed, you will be eliminated! Once your spirit returns, how much insight you retain will depend entirely on you. Naturally, with your memories wiped clean and everything beginning anew, you might be devoured before you even have the chance to grow!" "This world remains sealed, and its flow of time differs... To you, this is an opportunity; to me, it is an opportunity as well!" Li Hao smiled. "I will certainly enter this world again. However... as its master, I should be able to enter with my memories intact. For you, that will be difficult, so I am letting you take the first step! Furthermore, there are many other spirits lingering in this world—Long Zhan, my master, the Red Moon Sovereign, and many others have merged their spirituality into it! Thus, many chaos gods and demons might be born... and they were extraordinarily formidable in life, no weaker than you, perhaps even stronger!" "Once time returns, I will enter, establish the long river once and for all, and stabilize the world! When that happens, the era of chaos will end, and the era of world-creation will begin!" Once the heaven was opened, it would no longer depend on him! At this moment, this world was still in the primordial stage of nascent chaos. This was their opportunity. They were too young; none of them had experienced the dawn of the primal chaos. Even Tianfang and the ancient figures had never lived through it. If they experienced it once... would they gain from it? Undoubtedly! Even if the internal Dao system was not as complete as the entire primal chaos, Li Hao commanded five thousand Great Daos and had incorporated the power of countless powerhouses. The Dao framework was already remarkably comprehensive and intact! The Human King chuckled. "Fascinating, truly fascinating! Is there any chance we can awaken our memories?" "Very difficult! Of course, you are welcome to try, Human King!" Li Hao smiled. "However, if you exit the world and your spirit returns, that won't be an issue. But leaving means you are out of the game!" Saying this, he looked toward the Queen. "Do not rush to enter, or if you do enter first, I will awaken you when I step inside. You must place all the beings from the Divine Kingdom into the primal chaos. They will become the primordial mortals of this world..." The Queen nodded hastily. Having made these arrangements, the heart-like world before them began to beat violently. Li Hao let out a low shout, causing countless Great Daos to quiver intensely. "Merge your spirits and enter!" Powerhouses stepped forward with excitement, swiftly merging their spirituality. Those who did not know how to extract it did not need to worry; the Great Daos naturally drew forth their spirituality, weaving it into the blood-colored world. Gradually, sparks of spiritual light surfaced within the crimson realm! It shone with ever-greater brilliance! Just then, Sovereign Chunqiu spoke up: "Li Hao, as you open this heaven and earth... can it accommodate members of the monster clan?" "The monster clan?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Chunqiu explained, "I am, after all, a Sovereign of the monster race. As for the new world... I don't know what it will become, but... you plan to place humans inside, and many of the Primal Chaos clan died earlier with their spirits merged into it, meaning chaos beasts will surely be born. Surely it shouldn't exclude the monster clan?" Li Hao smiled. "We do not lack monsters either; Xinwu has them, and so does my Silver Moon! Of course, if you wish, you may arrange for some of your monsters to enter... Suit yourself!" "However..." Li Hao paused, his tone turning solemn. "Whether human, chaos beast, or monster, none must carry too many memories. The humans of the Divine Kingdom are currently like blank sheets of paper. Even if they know a few things, it is very little; they are merely ordinary mortals!" "I do not wish to see a large number of cultivators who know too much bringing everything from the current primal chaos into the new world. If that happens, opening a new heaven becomes meaningless! I am opening this heaven in the hope... of giving birth to a new system!" He had no desire to merely repeat the existing system. The humans he intended to place inside were ordinary mortals from various worlds. Not a single Sovereign was among them. They understood almost nothing of the broader reality, so even if they retained their memories, it would hardly matter. Furthermore, having lived in the Divine Kingdom for a time, relocating to another environment would feel largely the same to them. In their eyes, the primal chaos would still be the primal chaos of old. Just like Li Hao before he had walked out of Silver Moon—what had he known back then? He had known nothing at all! He hadn't even known where Silver Moon was situated, nor how power was divided in the primal chaos; he had been completely ignorant of everything beyond. Chunqiu nodded and said no more. As powerhouse after powerhouse merged their spirituality, the blood-colored world seemed to swell instantly, spiritual radiance flashing and soaring toward the vault of heaven! ... Inside the blood-colored world. All was murky and confused! Streaks of spiritual radiance descended from the heavens! Some seized hold of the turbid energies, their spiritual lights flashing as if shaping bodies of chaos. Some landed upon stones, transforming into stone spirits. The primal chaos remained murky and nebulous. Yet at this moment, the first spirit born of the blood seemed to develop a glimmer of sentience. Though still in a daze, it seemed innately endowed with understanding, as if born knowing how to cultivate... Capturing wisps of chaos energy, it actually began to cultivate. Amidst the turbid and chaotic Great Dao powers, the blood-colored figure grew clearer, sitting cross-legged. As time stretched endlessly, a faint consciousness rippled outward. "I... the first being of chaos?" A murmur echoed through the desolate world, startling the blood figure itself, as if frightened by its own voice. Instinctively, it seemed to know where this was. The primal chaos! At the dawn of creation, when chaos first parted, there were no myriad things, no living beings. The primordial creatures of chaos were beginning to gestate! "I am the Primordial God of Chaos... Blood... the Dao of Blood... the Blood Dao... I am the Blood Ancestor!" Like sleep-talk, the voice sounded somewhat youthful and bewildered, carrying innate spirituality. Ignorant and muddled, it nonetheless knew that it must cultivate. It must cultivate the Dao! The Dao? It felt lost again, yet knew that this was a prime opportunity to cultivate. Mingled with so many chaotic memories, cultivation methods naturally surfaced in its mind. They were rudimentary, yet more than sufficient for this place. All around lay boundless primal chaos energy and Great Dao power, stretching without end! ... Outside the realm. Having watched everyone's spirituality merge into the world, Li Hao drew a deep breath. His once-complex expression gradually settled into calm. He began sketching characters again, and this time, he sketched many of them! They were no longer isolated words, but a vast multitude. Wrath, joy, sorrow, greed... Desire! He intended to strip away his desires—or rather, the uncontrollable desires spilling from him—and suppress them into the new world. This was not merely to suppress them, but also to allow the new world to give rise to desire, without letting desire exceed its capacity. Desire was permissible, but it must not surpass one's limits. Stripping away all the chaotic energies from his body, Li Hao suppressed them all into the new world. And he himself... appeared exceedingly frail. His entire presence faded, becoming like that of an ordinary mortal. He washed away all the blood from his body. Then, changing into fresh clothes, his face regained its serenity. In his hand appeared a longsword on the verge of shattering. Li Hao smiled. Standing alone with nothing to his name—this was the true Li Hao. Nothing external was what he desired. Everything extraneous would be discarded. "Very well... I too shall begin anew!" He glanced west and smiled. Hopefully, after he entered, the situation over there would grant his wish. Chaos, die quickly and be done with it. If you die sooner, your spirituality can still merge into the new world. Miss this chance... and there might not be another. At that moment, Li Hao drew a deep breath and leaped forward. While the others had entered only as spirits, he entered in his true body! Instantly, the blood-colored world pulsed with wild intensity! ... Meanwhile. In the west. The grand battle raged on. Yet at this moment, as if sensing something, everyone turned their eyes toward the east. Chaos panted violently, but a grin broke across his face. Fewer and fewer powerhouses remained around him. Curse that Huntian! By now, Chaos bore numerous wounds, drenched in blood inflicted by Huntian. That bastard was truly detestable! Huntian was likewise covered in blood. Looking eastward, he frowned slightly. Had Li Hao opened the heaven? The commotion didn't seem particularly grand! Yet a unique ripple spread from that direction, pulsing like the beating of a heart. Li Hao... how exactly was he opening a heaven? Was he carving out a space? Or creating a world? In truth, everyone was puzzled, for none of them had ever attempted such a feat. At this moment, the Lord of Tianfang let out a breath and said, "Chaos, give it up. You can feel it yourself—you don't have much lifespan left. Yes, you've killed many of us, but right now... do you think you can slaughter us all? We are all merely clones. Even if you truly destroy us all... are you going to throw away your own life?" Around him, only seven or eight clones remained, and the reinforcing rank-eight Sovereigns had dwindled to seven or eight as well. Many members of the Nine Heavens Guard had perished, leaving only a few near Huntian still breathing. Chaos had slain an immense number of experts, but he himself was entering the twilight of his life. He had aged considerably, his white hair fluttering in the void. Chaos Sovereign sneered, "Tianfang, you hypocrite, spare me the lecture! Since we've already torn away all pretense today, even if I give up, would you let me live? Do you take me for a fool? After killing so many of your clones today, would any of you tolerate me? Today, either I die, or you die! There is no other way!" Though these clones were not their true bodies, descending with them had cost a heavy price. Offending one or two might be manageable, but having offended them all, would they ever spare him? Not a chance! *Li Hao... I fell into your trap, and this time, there truly is no way out!* Regret tugged at him. Yet feeling the supreme might of time, his regret vanished! At worst... he would fight to the bitter end! Having slaughtered his way to this point, cutting down countless powerhouses, he was truly exhausted, but the group before him was hardly in better shape! Huntian... He shifted his gaze to Huntian and sneered. That fellow had possessed an immense empire, reigning supreme as the undisputed leader of the primal chaos as long as the rank-nines did not descend. He had even suppressed Chaos earlier. Yet now... what a pathetic sight. The Western Region had been blown to pieces! And of the dozens of rank-eight Sovereigns under his command, only a pitiful handful remained. The vast Huntian Realm, a million years of tireless effort, had vanished into nothingness today. Huntian likely hated Li Hao far more than Chaos did! Truly miserable! At least Chaos had obtained the power of time; Huntian had gained nothing at all. Too miserable! Seeing someone worse off than himself, Chaos laughed. As if reading his thoughts, Huntian glared coldly at Chaos, infuriated! Indeed, he had suffered immensely today. Originally, everything had proceeded smoothly. He had suppressed Chaos and annexed the North, reigning with unrivaled prestige. But his misfortune lay in... failing to outscheme Li Hao. That troublemaker had completely thrown heaven and earth into turmoil! At his peak, he commanded over twenty rank-eight subordinates... and now? Only three rank-eight members of the Nine Heavens Guard remained alive, including Jieduan. And of the eight surrendered rank-eight Sovereigns... only one was left. To make matters worse, that lone survivor was constantly looking for a chance to flee, yet dared not do so because his old master was glaring right at him! That Sovereign had originally belonged to a rank-nine Dao Lord. Caught between two masters, he had sensed mortal peril every time he thought of running, leaving him no choice but to brace himself and hold on. Nearly a hundred rank-eight powerhouses had clashed here, and by now, barely twenty remained in total. Though the Xinwu faction had fled, nearly half of the combatants had perished! Huntian gritted his teeth. Having reached this stage... if they failed to slaughter Chaos today, the loss would be catastrophic! The others were mere clones; at worst, they could simply flee! He could not! This was his true body. If he walked away and Chaos truly mastered time, the first person Chaos would kill would be him, followed by Li Hao and the others. The true bodies of the rank-nines would certainly not be his immediate targets! "Chaos, Li Hao... is waiting for your time to open his heaven!" Huntian said coldly, fixing his gaze upon him. "Much as I despise Li Hao, I have to admit that his judgment is eerily precise. He believes you will die and return time to him... and I believe him!" This was perhaps the sole conviction keeping him standing. Li Hao was ruthless and calculating. If he claimed he was waiting for Chaos's time to open his heaven... perhaps Chaos truly was doomed. After all, across the entire world, Li Hao understood the Time Star better than anyone! Chaos Sovereign laughed and cursed, "You idiot! You believe whatever he says? If he said you were going to die, would you drop dead on the spot?" Even as he cursed, it did not slow his vicious strikes. Once again, time froze the surroundings! Striking in an instant, he charged straight at Jieduan beside Huntian, sneering, "Lackey, your master is dead and Order has collapsed, yet you still throw your life away for dark Huntian!" Jieduan’s eyes were filled with conflict as he struggled violently! Huntian roared, dark power erupting fiercely, yet it still struggled to suppress time. They were waging a war of attrition against Chaos, exhausting his lifespan! In truth, they simply lacked the power to overpower and kill Chaos outright! With a tremendous boom, Jieduan's body shattered! Chaos Sovereign’s face turned deathly pale. Every kill exacted a staggering toll. Throwing a punch infused with Great Dao power, he obliterated Jieduan completely. Yet he stumbled slightly, his very will wavering in confusion! Chaos knew... he had truly reached his limit. Freezing time and slaying powerful foes again and again had claimed dozens of lives, but his lifespan had reached the brink of exhaustion. If this war of attrition continued, he would completely die of old age after killing just a few more! On the perimeter, Tianfang transmitted his voice to the others: "Be careful, everyone. This fellow has reached his limit. Nine times out of ten, he will do exactly as Li Hao anticipated—overdraft everything and reverse time back to the past..." Loath as they were to admit it, reality was unfolding just as predicted. Li Hao’s words were being proven true, one by one! For no other reason than that Li Hao himself had wielded time. He knew that when pushed to this point with no way out, Chaos had only one gamble left! Win, and take all! Lose... and perish. It was that simple. If he won, he would be the supreme expert of the primal chaos, unmatched by any. If he lost, he would fall on the spot. There was no third path. Chaos could not run either. There was nowhere to flee, and even if he escaped, he could not recover. The remaining experts grew grim. Chaos was about to make his final gamble! Huntian watched Chaos strike Jieduan dead and let out a sigh. Jieduan had followed him from the very beginning, across countless years, yet today... he could not escape death. Still, perhaps it had all been worth it. Chaos had reached his limit! In the void, Chaos Sovereign looked toward the east, bared his teeth, and chuckled darkly. "Li Hao’s words are truly venomous!" That brat was utterly heartless. *Damn it, you bastards mapped out my path with crystal clarity, didn't you?!* "Heh heh..." He let out a cold laugh. Even if he truly failed and died, he wouldn't let that brat off easy! So what if he died and time returned? Fine! *I’ll add a little extra flavor for you!* He laughed. With the Time Star revolving around him, vast quantities of chaos power poured into it. He chuckled malevolently. *Li Hao, you grandson, if I truly die and time returns, didn’t you arrogantly claim you’d give it away?* *Giving it away would be your best bet. If you don't... and absorb time again yourself, heh, I’ll let you taste the flavor of chaos!* By now, he was prepared. Prepared to die in battle! Even if he fell, he would never surrender. Never! ... Inside the blood-colored world. Time seemed nonexistent here. Within the once-turbid chaos, several figures had already appeared. They wandered through the primal chaos. Boundless and vast! At this moment, a blood-colored figure of immense power was roaming the expanse. Time was merciless; within this place, time seemed to flow at a frantic pace, and the blood figure's aura grew increasingly formidable. Living beings had already surfaced within the chaos. Both the original spirits and those that had merged in later were beginning to awaken, wandering through this empty chaos like primordial gods and demons. Battles, too, began to erupt across this world. At this moment, the blood figure seemed to have thoughts constantly echoing in its mind... Looking out across the vast chaos, it fell into a daze. This chaos was far too desolate; something seemed to be missing. Perhaps... it lacked living beings? Or perhaps... it lacked a world? What was a world? Its head ached, yet an epiphany seemed to strike it. *Perhaps... I should open a heaven and earth within this chaos to accommodate the powerhouses from all directions?* *Cleaving heaven and earth?* *Opening a world?* The Blood Ancestor pondered, somewhat confused. How exactly did one open a heaven and earth? He wandered aimlessly through the primal chaos. He saw many beings—some awakening, some evolving. He saw a colossal dragon coiled in a certain region, and a phoenix soaring through another. He saw strange and wondrous creatures emerging across this primal chaos. Yet none seemed as powerful as he was. He even saw a stone transform into a formidable living being... He seemed to realize something: in this primal chaos, he was likely the mightiest, the very first living being. In the south, a cluster of flames seemed to illuminate heaven and earth. It was exceptionally powerful as well, though somewhat peculiar. He had once approached to inspect it; the flames were terrifyingly fierce and immensely strong. Perhaps it too would soon give birth to sentience and become one of the supreme beings of the world. And on this very day... The Blood Ancestor seemed to catch sight of something. In the distant, unreachable depths of the dark vault of heaven, a ray of light suddenly seemed to appear! In that instant, the entire primal chaos seemed to undergo a transformation. A colossal figure manifested out of thin air between heaven and earth. ... Li Hao had descended! Sweeping his gaze across the realm, he chuckled. Clad in fresh, crisp attire, with a sword resting at his waist, he carried the dashing air of a wandering martial artist. So this was the interior of the new world? To think so many living beings had been born so quickly. Granted, many were coalesced from pre-existing spirits, bypassing the most difficult hurdle, but... to have cultivators emerge this swiftly meant their memories had not been completely wiped out! Otherwise, cultivation methods could never have appeared so fast. Looking into the distance, gazing down upon heaven and earth, the space within was truly substantial! Yet it was not excessively large. In Li Hao’s perception, it was perhaps... roughly the size of the Four Regions. Such a primal chaos could hardly be considered vast. He grew pensive. Perhaps... it still required the power of time to suppress and expand it! It was too small. Would that future person truly be born in this world? Looking in another direction, he sensed a dense surge of vital blood energy. Li Hao raised an eyebrow. The somewhat chaotic blood-qi... partly belonged to himself. It was most likely formed from the convergence of the vast amounts of blood merged earlier, giving rise to a spirit of blood-qi. It was actually... remarkably formidable! Li Hao was somewhat surprised. How much time had passed in here? Not long, surely! He had entered only a short moment after the others, yet it felt as if many years had passed. That spirit of blood-qi seemed to possess the power of a rank-six or rank-seven Sovereign already, though... its Great Daos seemed rather chaotic. Not quite as orderly as imagined! Looking toward another direction, a cluster of flames burned there, seemingly intent on setting the entire world ablaze! *Hmm?* Li Hao paused, feeling a flicker of doubt. Those flames were also exceedingly powerful... Li Hao found it strange. Why did they carry... a hint of the Source of Chaos? Long Zhan’s spirit? Long Zhan... hadn't transformed into a dragon? Then whose spirit was that dragon in the other region? He hurriedly looked toward that other area, bewildered. After a long moment, he clicked his tongue. Was that... the spirit of Sovereign Panlong? It had to be! The first dragon between heaven and earth had not been formed from Long Zhan's spirit? Bizarre! When Long Zhan was dying, had he decided he no longer wanted to be a dragon? To become a flame illuminating the entire world? To bring clarity back to heaven and earth? Or did he wish to enshroud the cosmos in flames, covering everyone beneath his reach? He did not know what Long Zhan had been thinking, and by now, the dragon likely possessed no memories... None of that had much to do with him anymore. Perhaps it wasn't as he thought; Long Zhan's spirit might not be that cluster of flames after all. He couldn't distinguish it clearly. When Long Zhan died, his Great Daos had scattered, his blood-qi dispersed, and his spirituality shattered, with only the dragon soul swallowing a portion of the Source of Chaos. This cluster of flames merely contained a sliver of the Source of Chaos; it wasn't necessarily the core of his spirit. "It’s developing quite rapidly... To reach this stage during the age of ignorance... these figures have a promising future!" Li Hao nodded slightly, but then remembered something and searched the surroundings. He frowned. Where was his teacher? Though his teacher hadn't been exceptionally strong, he had unleashed his ultimate potential at the moment of death, drawing upon the Five Elements and coalescing his spirituality. Logically, he shouldn't be too weak. Why was there no sign of a powerful convergence of Five Elements power? What was going on? Or had the consumption of the Five Elements been too severe, leaving insufficient Five Elements energy here for his teacher's spirit to awaken? Pondering this, he wasn't overly concerned. This place was sealed, so spirituality would not disperse. His teacher would awaken within this realm sooner or later. It was only a matter of time! At this moment, slaughter raged within the chaos. These primordial gods and demons seemed innately awakened to a thirst for killing. Perhaps influenced by the chaotic aura of the great battle outside, the entire world remained tumultuous and disordered. Order had not been fully established. Perhaps only when he established the River of Time to stabilize the primal chaos could order truly take root... And once Chaos died, it could naturally be established. He wondered when Chaos would finally fall! "I can hardly wait... Surely they won't keep me waiting too long?" If Chaos didn't die, he couldn't initiate the next step! Li Hao felt a twinge of regret. Without establishing the long river, the entire world would remain unstable. Not only that, without the river, that future figure might never appear, meaning they would never meet. Establishing the long river within that figure's native world might allow them to cross paths. Though opening heaven and earth could be considered underway, to Li Hao... this was merely the beginning, not the end. The critical factor was waiting for Chaos to be beaten to death! "Ah well, waiting isn't so bad; I can cultivate a bit myself..." Saying this, Li Hao smiled, looking around at the constantly awakening, steadily rising spirits. Watching these beings, stripped of their memories, slaughtering one another in the chaos, he found it rather amusing. Did every single one of them truly think they were the god of creation? Looking around, he sank into deep contemplation. Perhaps he should also open a gateway? To allow external forces to catalyze this sealed world? Of course, that would have to wait until the River of Time was established, connecting everything through the river. Otherwise, opening it now would disrupt the flow of time, just as the Star Gate had once sealed Silver Moon. Still, he had to give people a chance to venture outside. Otherwise, being trapped in this place for an eternity would be rather tragic. Right at this moment, a thunderous voice echoed across heaven and earth from the distance! "I am the Chaos Blood Ancestor! Having sensed today that the myriad spirits of chaos have nothing to rely upon, I summon the chaos gods and demons: in one hundred years, bear witness as I open the heavens!" "..." Li Hao was stunned. *You're opening the heavens?* *What in the world are you opening?* *I haven't even finished opening this world properly, and you, a spirit born inside it—did you drink too much of my blood and lose your mind? What kind of heaven are you opening?* Li Hao burst into laughter! *My world hasn't even been fully opened, and you, a half-baked fellow, want to open the heavens?!* Then, a thought struck him. Perhaps... it was worth watching. This blood did not belong to him alone; it was formed from the combined blood of countless powerhouses and born within the new world. Perhaps... there was merit to be found in it. He could observe it to prepare for establishing the long river later. "Interesting... Opening a heaven within a heaven? It feels somewhat like me opening a heaven within the primal chaos... Could it be... opening a world?" Li Hao grew thoughtful! It would do no harm to watch. Then again, just when would Chaos be beaten to death? He was growing impatient! ... At this very moment. Outside the new world. In the west. Chaos Sovereign, seeming to know his end was near, could no longer endure. With a roar, time flowed backward! The expressions of Tianfang and the others changed drastically. The moment had finally arrived. Chaos Sovereign cursed furiously, "Li Hao, you bastard, I've reversed time back to the past just as you predicted! Are you satisfied now?!" He was exasperated! Yet he was utterly powerless. As a majestic rank-nine, what choice did he have when toyed with like this? *Boom!* His aura seemed to surge with terrifying speed. Yet reversing time did not restore his youth; it merely made his aura overwhelmingly powerful while his lifespan continued to drain away at an alarming rate! Chaos grew visibly older, yet his aura gradually enveloped all four corners of the primal chaos. Huntian and the others retreated hastily. This was Chaos’s final, desperate struggle! As long as they survived this burst, Chaos would die of old age on his own. At this moment, his aura soaring, Chaos Sovereign gritted his teeth and glared at the crowd. "You... you bastards!" *Boom!* He threw a punch. At this moment, the Great Dao of Chaos across the entire primal chaos seemed to converge upon him! The Great Dao of the Primal Chaos fluctuated violently! Striking back against the true bodies of the rank-nines! "Die!" A terrifying force swept across. Several powerhouses who were slightly slower were blown to pieces on the spot! Huntian shouted sharply, "Tianfang!" Sovereign Tianfang said nothing, teleporting instantly toward the east. At this point, the goal was not to kill Chaos, but to evade his final eruption. As long as they held out for a brief while, Chaos was certain to die. And if their clones survived, they would still have the chance to eliminate the trouble that was Li Hao. Otherwise, if their clones were wiped out while the Great Dao of the Primal Chaos convulsed and their true bodies could not descend, they would be in dire straits, potentially handing Li Hao an opportunity. Seeing this, Huntian cursed inwardly and fled frantically as well! If he failed to run now and was beaten to death by Chaos, the loss would be unbearable. The others fled in all directions, yet Chaos Sovereign obliterated several more combatants in an instant. The stench of death permeated the void. He gritted his teeth. *Flee?* *Don't even dream of it!* Especially Huntian—he was a living person. Killing him would allow Chaos to extract vitality to extend his own lifespan!